Grammar Manners: The Semicolon

Since we all love Mondays and we all love Grammar and the minutes of writing, Mondays are hereafter dedicated to things we'd rather leave in the dark. Might as well start the week with a kick in the pants. I'll bring to you common mistakes I think writers should just know. Tips will range from first-grade knowledge of the English language to Master's Degree expertise.

(I do find Melville references hilarious!)

I make it no secret that Herman Melville and I don't have a good relationship (sorry Ishmael!), and you know this won't be the first or last time I make an example of him. Among other things we learn not to do from past works of art (though I would like to see a modern reprisal of the whale semen scene...), the misuse of semicolons is one of them.

Every writer, editor, and reader has their favorite punctuation and mine has always been the semicolon. It's simple, straight-forward, and has rules you cannot break. Yet, time and time again, I correct flyers, Facebook posts, and, yes, manuscripts too. I think having to read Melville in school will do that to a brain, make you think you need to use way more than is good for you. But I'm here to tell you: when in doubt, leave them out.

Semicolons have two uses. Use them only under these two circumstances:

1. Connect two independent clauses of related thoughts or,
2. Separate items in a complicated list.

That's it.

Of course, the explanations:

1.  The key here is "independent clauses". When using a semicolon, you must have a sentence that can stand on its own on each side of the punctuation. "I found him super attractive; the once-a-month wolf thing is a major turn on for me."
2. A complicated list can contain multiple items that need a comma: "My vacation bag contained the following: sunscreen; a big, pointed stake; cloves of garlic; a blue, shimmery, wolf-repellent cape." Or, a complicated list can be one containing dates: "June 4th, 1492; April 2nd, 1998; December 6th, 1649."

If you need a more complete guide on semi-colon use, I love the instructions at The Oatmeal.

Of course, there are a few other reasons to use one...

Happy writing!